Salvation as Gift

Read Genesis 22:8

One problem has plagued humanity, that is the problem of our sin especially before a holy and righteous God. We desperately seek the blessed life and yet fail to attain it, because our desire to sin keeps us from him who is the blessed life.

The truth has always been before us

Psalm 49:7–9 (ESV)
Truly no man can ransom another, or give to God the price of his life, for the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice, that he should live on forever and never see the pit.

We cannot atone for our sins, we cannot make ourselves right with God. Abraham had no right to withhold his son from God, he had received him from God, and everything he had was from God. God was his king, he could not refuse him.

Yet although God has every right to demand everything of us. He says that he shall provide the lamb for the burnt offering. Abraham acts in faith that God will provide for him, and he shall not lose his son. Even though Abraham owes God an incalculable debt, he has faith in God to provide even more.

God gave up his son, freely offered him up to be sacrificed, in order to redeem the life of a rebellious hater of God. God has provided the way of salvation, he has provided everything. We will never look back on our time on this earth, and think oh at least I was able to contribute that. All of it will be God’s doing, his provision, it will be nothing of us, we will simply be the ones through which he carried out his will, and that should be more than good enough for us.

We owe God an incalculable debt. Our response is not to cower in fear thinking he will hold that debt over our heads, that denies the purpose of Jesus’ sacrifice, we are not to try and pay God back, that denies the reality of it being given as a gift.

We are simply to respond in overwhelming gratitude and love, that he should do something so gracious for people as undeserving and unworthy as us.

Questions:

What is wrong with responding to God’s offer of salvation by seeking to serve him and pay him back for everything you have done for him?

Why are we constantly driven to find something we can contribute to our salvation, to have something we can say we did?